Thill coupling



No. 6l8,437. Patented Jam-3|, I899.

' A BOSS THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed July 28, 1898.)

'(No Model.)

Inventor: 72414 J1 til-es t:

TUNTTED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

ALEXANDER ROSS, OF ROCHESTER, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED H.BEACH, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,437, dated January31, 18 99. Application filed July 28,1898. Serial No. 687,122. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Ross, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Roch-.

. understood as antirattling couplers.

The object of the invention is to produce a simple coupling for thethills of a vehicle of that class formed of few parts and so constructedthat the thills may be attached to the vehicle or detached therefrom bya simple lateral movement and without removing and replacing orloosening or disturbing any parts of the device. In using this devicewhen connecting the thills with the axle the former are merely elevatedand slipped horizontally into place, and when disconnected they aresimilarly slipped out of their bearings. Springs rigid with thethill-irons serve to hold the parts snugly against their respectivebearings, so that no jarring or rattling can occur while the vehicle isin use.

The invention is hereinafter fully described and more particularlypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the couplingand associated parts when in use, the axle being transversely sectioned.Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing the device as when attaching ordetaching the thills. Fig. 3 is a plan of a portion of the axle and themain coupling-iron. Fig. 4: is a reverse side elevation of the maincoupling-iron. Fig. 5 is a plan of the device with the thill-iron inplace. Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of the thill-iron detached. Fig. 7is a view of the under surface of the thill-iron,.

seen as indicated by arrow in Fig. 1, showing the tension-spring. of thedevice, the thill-iron being longitudinally sectioned, as on the dottedline 8 8 in Fig. 5.

Referring to the parts shown in the draw- Fig. 8 is a side elevationings, A is an axle of ordinary kind, consisting of a wooden stock a andiron axle b.

B is the main iron or body of the coupling device, held to the axle byan ordinary clip 0 in the usual manner.

D is the thill-iron. The main couplingiron B projects some distanceforward of the axle and is formed near its outer enlarged end with ahorizontal cylindrical cavity or opening 0, Figsi 3 and 4, parallel withthe axle and having a narrow longitudinal slit d, opening out-at oneside, as shown. The thillhead 6, adapted to fit and fill the cavity a,as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The thill-iron is reduced in thicknessadjacent to the head 6 or formed into a neck f, narrow enough to enterthe slit cl, so that when the thills are turned up to the positionindicated in Fig. 2

cavity or seat 0 in the main iron B.

The head 9 of the main iron 13 is transversely curved or madesubstantially cylindrical as to its exterior surface, this cylindricalsurface being eccentric with the cavity c,as appears in Figs. 1, 2, and4. The thill-iron is provided with a spring h on its under surface, withits free end in position to bear against the convex surface of this headg, as appears in Fig. 1, when the thills are in position for use;- buton account of the eccentricity of the head 9 the spring clears the headg entirely, as shown in Fig. 2,when the thills are turned up for thepurpose of either coupling or uncoupling them, as already described. Theslit or opening 01 is narrower than the diameter of the head 6 of thethill iron, so that the latter can escape from the seat 0 only bysliding out laterally, the width of said slit being sufficient, however,to receive the neck f of the thill-iron. Two of these couplings areemployed on the axle, one opposite each thill, and in the act ofcoupling or uncoupling the thills the heads 6 are slipped sidewise intotheir seats, the springs not interfering with either process.

To assist in readily guiding the heads e into their seats, the bodies Bare formed with projecting ledges 2', Figs.3 and 4, adjacent to iron Dis formed with a transverse cylindrical the head 2 may he slippedlaterally into the and forming in part lateral continuations of therests c. When attaching the thills to the vehicle, the heads of the twothill-irons are placed in the respective open rests or guides i, thethills being held up, as above described.

Each thill-iron is wider than the associated body B, as shown in Fig. 5,and formed with an opening is, Figs. 6 and 8, adjacent to the head 6, inwhich to receive the head g of the part B. The tension-spring hispreferably made about the width of the head g and bowed or curved,substantially as shown. In attaching the spring to the thill-iron it ispreferably set into a shallow recess or seat, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,and may be held by a simple fastener Z. When in position, the springpractically covers on the under side the opening 70. In thisconstruction of the coupling there are no loose or separate parts-suchas bolts, nuts, washers, &c.-to be removed and replaced and no parts tobe disturbed. The bearings of the thill-irons upon the bodies B arebroad and continuous,

being the whole breadth of each body B, to-.

gether with that of the ledges t.

When the thills are turned up for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling,the heads g pass out of the respective openings 70 and do not interferewith the lateral motions of the thills to carry them into or out oftheir seats.

When the thills are in substantially horizon-v only necessary that theslit should be so formed that in removing the thills they will need tobe raised to a position higher than they can ever assume while in use orattached to the horse.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A device of the kind described,having a main part or body adapted to be secured to the axle, formedwith a cylindrical cavity, and a slit narrower than the diameter of thecavity opening out at one side thereof, and a ledge or guiding-pieceprojecting at one side of said main part or body both laterally andlongitudinally beyond the end of the cavity, adjacent to said cavity andconstituting an extension or continuation of the latter, in combinationwith a thill-iron formed with a cylindrical head adapted to occupy saidcavity, and a reduced part or neck adjacent to said head adapted to passinto said slit or opening in the side of the cavity, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination with the main part having cylindrical cavity withcontracted opening therefrom, rests, head and semicircular ledgeprojecting beyond and forming a continuation of the said rests, of thethill-iron having transverse cylindrical head and reduced in thicknessadjacent to the said head forming a neck to enter the said contractedopening the thill-iron beingwider than the main part and having anopening adjacent to the head, and a flat spring secured at one end tothe under side of the thill-iron and its free end curved and bearingdirectly against and riding on the convex end of the main part andextended across said opening, all substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 26th day of July,1898, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER ROSS.

\Vitnesses:

Enos B. VVHITMORE, M. L. WINSTON.

